2000
#11,507
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,509
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.93
Rare Last name
Leflore
A French topographic surname referring to someone living near a small forest or woodland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,209 Americans carry the last name Leflore. That puts it at #10,880 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 106,810 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leflore surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 106,810
Census rank
#10,880
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,798 bearers of the surname Leflore in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10880th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leflore, the largest self-reported group is Black at 72.4%. The next largest groups are White (11.4%) and Two or More Races (7.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leflore
The surname LEFLORE has its origins in France, dating back to the 17th century. The name is believed to be derived from the French words "le" meaning "the" and "fleur" meaning "flower." It is likely that the name originally referred to someone who lived near a flowering plant or garden.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the LEFLORE surname can be found in the records of the French colony of Louisiana in the late 1600s. Jacques LEFLORE, born in 1678, was among the earliest settlers in the region and is considered one of the earliest bearers of this surname.
In the 18th century, the name gained prominence through the exploits of Louis LEFLORE, a French-Canadian explorer and fur trader who traversed the Mississippi River and its tributaries. Born in 1732, he established trading posts and settlements along the rivers, contributing to the early development of the region.
Another notable figure with the LEFLORE surname was Greenwood LEFLORE, a Choctaw-French interpreter and trader born in 1800. He played a crucial role in negotiating treaties between the Choctaw Nation and the United States government, shaping the course of Native American history.
In the literary world, the name LEFLORE is associated with Joseph LEFLORE, a French-American poet and novelist born in 1820. His works explored themes of identity, cultural heritage, and the complexities of life in the American South.
The LEFLORE surname also has connections to the world of business and industry. In the late 19th century, Charles LEFLORE, born in 1845, founded the LEFLORE Manufacturing Company, which produced innovative agricultural machinery and contributed to the industrialization of the American Midwest.
While the LEFLORE surname originated in France, it has since spread across the globe, with bearers of the name found in various countries and cultures. The name's history is a testament to the rich tapestry of human migration, cultural exchange, and the enduring legacy of names that transcend borders and generations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leflore
Among Census respondents with the surname Leflore, the largest self-reported group is Black at 72.4%. The next largest groups are White (11.4%) and Two or More Races (7.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Leflore bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Leflore surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American72.4% · 2,025
- White11.4% · 319
- Two or more races7.3% · 205
- American Indian and Alaska Native5.3% · 148
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 92
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leflore
Leflore appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#11,026
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,884
+375 bearers (+14.9%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Up 481 places
2020
#10,880
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,798
-86 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Up 146 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,507 | 2,509 | 0.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,026 | 2,884 | 0.98 | +375 bearers (+14.9%) | Up 481 places |
| 2020 | #10,880 | 2,798 | 0.94 | -86 bearers (-3.0%) | Up 146 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Leflore surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,026 | #10,880 | 1.3% |
| Count | 2,884 | 2,798 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.98 | 0.94 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leflore bearers went from 2,884 to 2,798 (-3.0% change). The surname moved up 146 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,026 to #10,880.
FAQ
Leflore surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leflore?
Name Census estimates that about 3,209 living Americans carry the surname Leflore. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 106,810 residents.
How common is Leflore?
Leflore ranks #10,880 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,798 people with the surname Leflore. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,209), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.94 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Leflore.
Has Leflore become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leflore went from 2,884 recorded bearers to 2,798. That is a decrease of 86 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,026 to #10,880.
What does the Census say about the background of Leflore?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leflore, the largest self-reported group is Black at 72.4%. The next largest groups are White (11.4%) and Two or More Races (7.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Leflore in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.4% (2,025 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leflore appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (72.4%), White (11.4%), Two or More Races (7.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Leflore (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Leflore mean?
A French topographic surname referring to someone living near a small forest or woodland. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Leflore (0.94 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Leflore?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Leflore, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.